Oakland Public Library - bookshttp://oaklandlibrary.org/taxonomy/term/183/0
enDIA: Great Kids' Books with Multiracial Charactershttp://oaklandlibrary.org/blogs/childrens-services/dia-great-kids-books-multiracial-characters
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<p>This week is the library holiday with the longest name: Día de los Niños / D<span>í</span>a de los Libros; Children's Day / Book Day. It's come to be called just&nbsp;<a href="http://dia.ala.org/" rel="nofollow">DÍA!</a>--Diversity In Action. Want to come party at the library? C<a href="http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/blogs/childrens-services/dia-de-los-ninos-dia-de-los-libros-childrens-day-book-day-0">lick here</a><span>!</span></p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/opinion/sunday/the-apartheid-of-childrens-literature.html?_r=0" rel="nofollow">lot </a>of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/opinion/sunday/where-are-the-people-of-color-in-childrens-books.html" rel="nofollow">people </a>are <a href="http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/blogs/childrens-services/people-color-underrepresented-childrens-books">talking</a> about <a href="http://ccblogc.blogspot.com/2014/04/same-old-story-stats-on-multicultural.html" rel="nofollow">diversity </a>in children's books right now, which makes me very happy. Oakland is one of the most diverse cities in the nation, and every family in our city deserves to find books on our shelves with characters who look like them, talk like them, have seen and felt what they've seen and felt.&nbsp;</p>
<p><span>If you're still searching for your book, the library's giving you a little help this week. Each day, we'll be <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/oaklandlibrary/" rel="nofollow">pinning</a> a new list of recommended children's books with characters of various racial backgrounds; characters who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender; and characters who live with disabilities. </span></p>
<p><span>You'll be able to find all of these books here at OPL; or, if you're taking the <a href="http://birthdaypartypledge.com/" rel="nofollow">Birthday Party Pledge</a> and promising to "give multicultural books as gifts to the children in [your] life for one year," take these lists to your <a href="http://www.nciba.com/bookstores/east.html" rel="nofollow">local independent bookseller</a>.</span></p>
<p><span>Today: a list of <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/oaklandlibrary/childrens-books-about-multiracial-people/" rel="nofollow">children's books with characters who are multiracial</a>! I'm listing just a few here; for the complete list, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/oaklandlibrary/childrens-books-about-multiracial-people/" rel="nofollow">click over to our Pinterest page</a>.</span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1827884__Swhoa%20baby%20whoa__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><img width="120" height="120" src="/sites/default/files/events/medium_Jacket.jpg" /></a><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1875411__Syakyu__P0%2C1__Orightresult__U__X6?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><img width="120" height="120" src="/sites/default/files/events/medium_yakyu.jpg" /></a><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1897534__Smarisol%20mcdonald%20and%20the%20clash__Orightresult__U__X6?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><img width="120" height="120" src="/sites/default/files/events/medium_marisol.jpg" /></a><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1863610__Swhos%20in%20my%20family__Orightresult__U__X6?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><img width="120" height="120" src="/sites/default/files/events/medium_Jacket%20%281%29.jpg" /></a></span></p>
<p><span>Got little ones? Try <a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1827884__Swhoa%20baby%20whoa__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><strong>Whoa, Baby, whoa!</strong> by Grace Nichols</a>. This little guy gets around! Or, if you'd rather spend your days at an A's game than crawling the kitchen floor, pick up<a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1875411__Syakyu__P0%2C1__Orightresult__U__X6?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow">&nbsp;</a></span><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1875411__Syakyu__P0%2C1__Orightresult__U__X6?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><strong>Take Me Out to the Yakyu</strong> by Aaron Meshon</a>. Party girls can look for <a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1875411__Syakyu__P0%2C1__Orightresult__U__X6?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><strong>Marisol McDonald and the Clash Bash / Marisol McDonald y la Fiesta Sin Igual</strong>, by Monica Brown</a>. And for a story about the different kinds of families we have, check out <a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1863610__Swhos%20in%20my%20family__Orightresult__U__X6?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><strong>Who's In My Family?: all about our families</strong>, by Robie Harris</a>.</p>
<p><span><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1939868__Sblossoming%20universe__Orightresult__U__X6?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><img width="188" height="284" src="/sites/default/files/resize/events/Jacket_0-188x284.jpg" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1946408__Szane%20and%20the%20hurricane__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><img width="188" height="285" src="/sites/default/files/resize/events/Jacket_1-188x285.jpg" /></a><br /></span></p>
<p><span>Did you know you can put books on hold before they hit our shelves? Get in line now for these next two. The first has starred reviews from <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/brenda-woods/the-blossoming-universe-of-violet-diamond/" rel="nofollow">Kirkus</a> and <a href="http://www.slj.com/2014/03/reviews/pick-of-the-day/pick-of-the-day-the-blossoming-universe-of-violet-diamond/#_" rel="nofollow">School Library Journal</a>: <a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1939868__Sblossoming%20universe__Orightresult__U__X6?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><strong>The&nbsp;</strong><strong>Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond</strong>, by Brenda Woods</a>. Violet may be the first biracial character in children's literature to lighten her hair, but I can't vouch for that. If you're feeling something a bit heavier, try <a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1946408__Szane%20and%20the%20hurricane__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><strong>Zane and the Hurricane</strong> by Rodman Philbrick</a>; Zane visits the family of his late father, who was African-American, in New Orleans, and ends up facing one of the worst natural disasters in recent history. There's some fear and sadness and death, but it's a gripping story, and appropriate for grades four and up.</span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1893614__Szombie%20baseball%20beatdown__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><img width="249" height="369" src="/sites/default/files/resize/events/Jacket_6-249x369.jpg" /></a></span></p>
<p><span>A few already on our shelves: first,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1893614__Szombie%20baseball%20beatdown__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><strong>Zombie Baseball Beatdown</strong>&nbsp;by Paolo Bacigalupi</a><span>, which I ended up plowing through in one afternoon (and it's 300 pages). It's funny, exciting, fast-paced, and while definitely not for kids who are young and/or sensitive, not as gory as you might expect. Rabi, a baseball stats geek from a mixed white and Indian family, has to help an undocumented friend whose family has been deported to Mexico, and oh, by the way, there's a zombie apocalypse. Fun, thoughtful, and checked out almost everywhere, so you know it's good.&nbsp;</span></p>
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<p><span><img width="207" height="309" src="/sites/default/files/resize/events/Jacket_2-207x309.jpg" /><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1750553__Sdoodlebug__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow">&nbsp;</a><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1727734__Sdigging%20up%20trouble__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><img width="206" height="307" src="/sites/default/files/resize/events/Jacket_3-206x307.jpg" /></a><br /></span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1750553__Sdoodlebug__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><strong>Doodlebug: a novel in doodles</strong>, by Karen Romano Young</a>, for your Wimpy Kid fan who likes a more substantial story. Includes a strong depiction of a multiracial family. And if fun and fluffy's what you want, go for <a href="http://www.amyhodgepodge.com" rel="nofollow">Amy Hodgepodge</a>, a series by Kim Wayans (yes, that <a href="http://www.focusfeatures.com/pariah/castncrew?member=kim__wayans" rel="nofollow">Kim Wayans</a>) about a girl who is African-American, Japanese, white, and Korean. Her latest adventure is <strong><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1727734__SWayans%2C%20Kim.__Ff%3Afacetmediatype%3Aa%3Aa%3ABOOKS%3A%3A__O-date__X0?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow">Digging Up Trouble</a></strong><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1727734__SWayans%2C%20Kim.__Ff%3Afacetmediatype%3Aa%3Aa%3ABOOKS%3A%3A__O-date__X0?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"></a>, and if you like it, <a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/search/C__SWayans%2C%20Kim.__Ff%3Afacetmediatype%3Aa%3Aa%3ABOOKS%3A%3A__Orightresult__X0?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow">there are more</a>!<br /></span></p>
<p><a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1635768__Smexican%20whiteboy__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><img width="200" height="304" src="/sites/default/files/resize/events/Jacket_4-200x304.jpg" /></a>&nbsp;<img width="201" height="302" src="/sites/default/files/resize/events/Jacket_5-201x302.jpg" /></p>
<p><span>Older readers may want to dig into <a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1635768__Smexican%20whiteboy__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow"><strong>Mexican Whiteboy</strong>, by Matt de la Peña</a>, in which a San Diego teen spends a summer with his dad's Mexican family. So hot when it first came out, it took me weeks to get it. (Related: check out de la Peña's powerful essay <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/11/11/243960103/a-reluctant-reader-turns-ya-author-for-tough-teens" rel="nofollow">"Sometimes the 'Tough Teen' is Quietly Writing Stories,"</a>&nbsp;but only if you have some Kleenex handy.) Finally, one that I really enjoyed: <a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1783183__Scamo%20girl__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" rel="nofollow">Kekla Magoon's <strong>Camo Girl</strong></a>. Ella is biracial and has a skin condition that makes the colors of her face uneven; she faces bullying and growing up and away from her best friend, who is autistic.</span></p>
<p><span>Want even more kids' books with multiracial characters? Click over to <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/oaklandlibrary/childrens-books-about-multiracial-people/" rel="nofollow">Pinterest</a> for the complete list. Oh, happy Día!</span></p>
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This week is DÍA: Diversity in Action! Celebrate with children&#039;s books about multiracial characters. </div>
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<img class="imagefield imagefield-field_post_image" width="236" height="358" alt="Cover for &quot;The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond&quot; by Brenda Woods" src="http://oaklandlibrary.org/sites/default/files/blogs/images/childrens-services/blossoming-universe.jpg?1398123970" /> </div>
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http://oaklandlibrary.org/blogs/childrens-services/dia-great-kids-books-multiracial-characters#commentsbiracialbookschildrendiadiversityGreat Books and morekid litmultiracialMon, 28 Apr 2014 15:00:00 +0000Amy Martin4611 at http://oaklandlibrary.orgThe Right Book for the Right Reader: Introductionshttp://oaklandlibrary.org/blogs/childrens-services/right-book-right-reader-introductions
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<p>Greetings! Many of you already know me as Miss Amy, especially if you are under three feet tall and have attended a storytime at <a href="http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/locations/montclair-branch" target="_blank">Montclair Branch</a>, the <a href="http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/locations/main-library" target="_blank">Main Library Children's Room</a>, or <a href="http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/locations/eastmont-branch" target="_blank">Eastmont Branch</a> in the last six years. I'm one of your friendly children's librarians, and in this series I will discuss a topic that drives children's librarians and keeps us invested in our profession. A thing that keeps us hard at work, hour upon hour, day after day, and I'm not talking about googling "is <a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/search/C__Snelson%2C%20kadir__Ff%3Afacetmediatype%3Aa%3Aa%3ABOOKS%3A%3A__Orightresult?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Kadir Nelson</a> married*"-- no, it's our guiding principle, the beacon we follow when all else is dim.</p>
<p>It is the concept of the right book for the right reader.</p>
<p>What does this mean?</p>
<p>Well, basically, the "right book for the right reader" means that for every person out there, there is a book that they will love so much that they will become convinced that reading is fun, and they will seek it out as an activity to engage in by choice. Children's librarians work with a lot of what we call "reluctant readers"-- kids who can read, but don't like to, and won't do it unless compelled to by a teacher, parent, or other adult. In theory, there is a book out there for every reader, no matter how reluctant, that they will love.</p>
<p><img width="512" height="683" src="http://oaklandlibrary.org/sites/default/files/events/Happy_Saintsgiving_ya%27ll%21%21%20%281%29.jpg" /></p>
<p>I'm not sure I believe in "the right book for the right reader."</p>
<p><span>I sure believe in matching everyone with the best books possible for their tastes; book + person matchmaking is one of my favorite tasks as a librarian. But I don't know if it's true that every single person would become a reader if they found just the right book. Some people don't like to read, and that's cool. </span></p>
<p><span>And yet for every child who comes to us with crossed arms, a stormy face, and mumbles of "have to read something before school starts," we start up the chase. It's kind of our white whale-- the right book for that reader may or may not be out there, but we'll pursue it until one or both of us dies from exhaustion or the kid's parents take them home.</span></p>
<p><img width="512" height="738" src="http://oaklandlibrary.org/sites/default/files/events/Moby_Dick_p510_illustration%20%281%29.jpg" /><br /><em>A children's librarian perishes in pursuit of the perfect book for a child</em></p>
<p>I have a collection of memories that make me think this white whale exists-- times when I've seen a child (or adult) connect with a book in a way that changes <em>everything</em>. These are the stories I'll be sharing here, and my spyglass is trained to the sea for more**, so feel free to leave your own stories in the comments. What was the book that made you a reader? Mine was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Productions-presents-Rescuers-Trouble-wonderful/dp/0394848012" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">TROUBLE IN DEVIL'S BAYOU</a>, which I remember looking at while lying on the living room floor at age three (or so they tell me) and suddenly all the words made sense. Yarrr, a fine book, that.</p>
<p>--Miss Amy</p>
<p>*Yes he is</p>
<p>**CONFESSION: I have never read<a href="http://encore.oaklandlibrary.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1639548__Smoby%20dick__Ff%3Afacetmediatype%3Aa%3Aa%3ABOOKS%3A%3A__P0%2C13__Orightresult__X5?lang=eng&amp;suite=cobalt" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> MOBY DICK</a></p>
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Is there such a thing as the right book for the right reader? Join Miss Amy on her quest, which is not at all monomaniacal. </div>
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<img class="imagefield imagefield-field_post_image" width="128" height="201" alt="Illustration from Moby Dick" src="http://oaklandlibrary.org/sites/default/files/blogs/images/childrens-services/Moby_Dick_p510_illustration.jpg?1375386664" /> </div>
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http://oaklandlibrary.org/blogs/childrens-services/right-book-right-reader-introductions#commentsbooksGreat Books and moreLibrary Peoplemoby dickreaderreluctant readerThu, 01 Aug 2013 16:48:57 +0000Amy Martin3661 at http://oaklandlibrary.org